Method and apparatus for treating materials for filtering, decolorizing, and similar purposes



Patented Nov.' 6 1923.

UNI-.TED )STATES i .EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE 'METHOD AND 4APPARATUS Application led October 6, 1922. 'Serial-N0. 592,907.

To all 'who/mit may comm:

Be it known that I, FRED W. MANNING, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New, York, have invented 'certain new anduseful lImprovements in Methods` and Apparatus for Treating Materials for Filtering, Decolorizing, and .Similar Purposes, of which the following is a specification. A Y

The present'invention relates to a method of and apparatus for preparing materials suitable for ltering, decolorizing, or re moving undesired substances from liquids, gases or other fluids, and for revivifying o r increasing or restoring the filtering or dei colorizinfr power of spent materials of this type. ore particularly, the invention relatesr to a method and apparatus for revivifying 'or restoring finely divided fullers earths, bone char, activated carbons, carbon surrogates and similar natural or artificial materials after use in decolorizing, clarifying orotherwise purifying liquors, such as sugar liquors, Syrups, oilsfats, and solutions of various kinds.

In rcvivifying purifying agents of this type, it is customary to heat the spentor exhausted material to a rather'high temperature to volatilize and destroy the organic matters takenup from thevliquids purified thereby. It is desirable, b-ut diiiicult, to

couple this heating with a certain amount of oxidation to prevent, or obviate the effects of. deposition of carbon by charring. In this operation an accurate control of temperature is desirable, since a temperature which is too'low does not suffice to eiectively volatilize or otherwise remove the substances which clog or impair the activity of the material, while too high a temperature, in the case of earthy materials, tends to shrink, sinter or fuse the particles and thus impair their activity and value, or, in the case ot carbon materials, tends to cause the formation 'of inactive carbon. With oxidation there is a tendency for it to become too active with consequent loss of material. When thefSt-reatment is carried on in theA customary manner in re'tortsor muflies with the material in Contact with the heated walls of the retort or treating' chamber lduring. the heating, an even heat-ing is very difficult to obtain, since those portions of the materialin direct contact with the heated wall of the treating chamber are heated to a higher temperature than those more remote from the source of heat. Granular or pulverulent materials of this kind are not good conductors of heat. Consequently, portionsof the material are frequently overburned or under treated, particularly when the range of temperatures for proper treatment is narrow and the material is particularly sensitive to temperatures outside of the proper'- temperature limits. A uniform distribution of treating or oxidizing gases is;also more diiicult to obtain 'whenthe material is heat-4 ed in large masses or aggregates, particularly when the material is in a very finely divided condition. In treating finely divided materials in thepresence of swiftly .moving iiame gases a further diiiculty may be encountered in large yloss 'of materialv carried away b the treating gases.

'It is the o ject of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus by which materials of the above character may be more rapidly and economically treated and in which the temperatures at different penon 'r'n.avrIiveiv MATERIALS ron. FILTEBING, nEcoLoaIz- ING, ann SIMILAR PURPOSES.

riods oftreat'ment may be modilied and .con-

trolled and in which finely divided materials may be treated without excessive loss. To this end I drop the material through a nar row hot-walled chamber containing an atmosphere of appropriate composition, the particles being heated by radiation from the walls and by the gas mass, while falling. In so doing, while the materials are treated en masse, yet each individual particle of material is really individually heated and treated. In its process aspect, my invention resides in heating and treating materials of the class described, for activationand revivilication in a state of free fall; and in its apparatus aspect, my invention relates to suitable means for effecting such a heating in such a way. I provide an externally heated, vertical retort or shaft through which the material/"is dropped; sealed means -being provided for introducing the granular or pulverulent material into the top of thel In such a method and with such an apparatus, it is not desirable that any individual Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the furnace,

and shaft taken at right angles to the section of Fig. 1, v.

Fig. 3 is a section of the furnace and shaft taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, and,

Fig. 4 is a 'section 'of the furnace and shaft taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the present invention the finely divide ed material to be treated is dropped through a narrow vertically arrangedshaft extending through and heated by a suitable furnace. particles of material are heated by radiation from the walls of the shaft and by heat taken up from the gaseous medium within the shaft but are wi-thout directcon tact with the heatedpwalls to any considerable extent. The shaft is advantageously of a narrow cross-section to afford a short path for the radiation of heat to the particles and the scattering or distribution of the particles in the upper part of the shaft takes .place in a corresponding narrow area or zone.

The furnace is so arranged as to provide a long, slow burning` flame of moderate and evenly distributed temperature. To this end, it is advantageous to use a liquid or gaseous fuel and burn it with what may be termed diluted air; air containing a certain amount of vproducts of combustion. The presence ofthe products of combustion gives an elongated flame ofthe type desired. For this purpose a portion of the products of combustion may be returned and mixed with the air and with the fuel enteringv combustion. The furnace surrounding the shaft is also preferably divided into vertical flues provided with suitable dampers by which tht flame and flame gases may be distributed around the shaft to obtain a uniformly distributed heating effect. The shaft is advantageously provided with an extension depending below the furnace to permit a cooling of ithe treated particles after assing thrr .lgh the heated portion in the urnace. Various gases or gas mixtures may be introduced into the shaft to obtain an atmosphere of the. type desired.

Referring more particularly 'to the accompanying drawings, the material to be treated is introduced through a hood 10, positioned over a treating shaft 12, by

In passing through the shaft, the

means of a feed pipe 14 and a screw conveyor 16 or other feeding means and is received in a distributing hopper 1 8 which opens downwardly into the upper part of the shaft 1 2. From the feed pipe 14 the material is supplied to the hopper and is distributed and fed downwardly from the hopper in a loose condition by means of a stationary grate or grid 20 extending across the hopper and a movable grate 22 above the grade 20 and reoiprocated thereon by means of a rod 24 extendingoutwardly through the wall ofv the hood l0. From the grates 20 and 22, the loose material falls freely through a narrow spout 26 of appropriateshape into the upper end of the shaft l2.

The cross section of the shaft 12 is slightly larger than that of the spout 26 which permits the material fed from the spout 26 to fall freely without substantial contact with the walls of the shaft. The side walls 12a' and 12b of the shaft are spaced quite close to each other to form a narrow passage. To avoid a too rapid cooling of theparticles after their removal from the shaft and to guard against bringing the hot treatedmaterial into contact with lair ,upon its removal from the shaft, the shaft may be extended below the furnace, as at 32, to ermit a partial cooling of the particles in t eir freely suspended, falling movement. The.

treated particles are removed from the bottom of the shaft through an outlet 34 by means of a screw conveyor 36 or other suitable means. y

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying dra-wings, the furnace is heated with gas. The gas is supplied through a supply pipe 38, control valve 40 and pump or booster 42 to an annular distributing-box 44 opening into the shaft 12. From the distributing box 44, the gas passes upwardly through a number of ports or nostrils 46 suitably spaced about the shaft 12. vAir for supporting combustion is supplied through a supply pipe 48, regulating valve 50 and pump 52 to an annular distributing box 54 surrounding and ex- 1 tending above the gas distributing box 44.

The air is directed through a number of outlets or nostrils 56 in the box 54 and the gas nostrils and the air outlets are so arranged as to be located opposite one another and eachpair is located centrally under a heating flue 60. The mixture of air and gas is ignited -in chamber 58 surrounding the shaft 12 andthe burning gases and product-s of combustion pass upwardly through j flues 60 formed about the shaft 12 by vertical partition walls 62 extending up to collecting flue 63.

The flame and flame gases are so distributed about the shaft 12 asV to provide ay shaft. Toenablethis distribution to be more readily controlled and any inequalities in temperature to be corrected, each of the fiues 60 is provided with a damper 64 referably positioned in the upper part o the flue, and the partition walls 62 are provided with openings 66 through which burning may be iverted from one iiue to an adjacent flue by a suitable adjustment of the positions of the dampers 64. From the upper part of the furnace or collecting flue 63 products of combustion pass out through gn outlet flue 68 past a controlling damper In treating the material passing through the shaft 12 1t is desirable to avoid any 'hot spots or zones in the shaftand furnace and to. distribute an even heating effect over a considerable length of the shaft. To this end, the furnace lis operated to produce a long flame of moderate intensity, advantageously by diluting either the air or the as, or both, entering into combustion wit a suitable inert or diluting gas. For' this impose, a portion of the products of comustion in ue 68 may be diverted by a branch pipe 72 and-pass to the gas inlet .pipe 38 and by a branch pipe 74 to the air supply `pipe 48. The relative proportions of thewproducts of combustion passing through the pipes 72and 74 to the gas an air supply pipes is, controlled by dampers 7 6 and 78 in the pipes 7 and 74, respectively.

In treating, preparing or revivifying Asome materials, it may only'be necessary to maintain them at the proper temperatures for a suiiicient time to volatilize or decom'- pose and remove impurities which'obstruct .their activity. With other materials, a.

a slight oxidizing action is desirable. In

[the latter case, steam,r carbon dioxide, or

vmixtures of steam,- carbon dioxide, air or other suitable mixtures may be admitted to the lower part of the shaft 12 by means of an inlet or supply pipe' 80 and `control valve 81 and ass u wardly in contct'lwith the downwar y fa l particles 4'of Amaterial to be treated 'going to 'exit at 82. When only a slight oxidizing action; is desired, it is advantageous to effect it by the `presence of carbon dioxide or water vapor,

Both have an oxidizing action on carbon,

but as this action is endothermic, it'cannot A cause local-overheating. In some cases a .pay free reducing 'or' inert atmosphere may be lused.

The ow' of gases through the heating shaft has another effect in that it opposes the falling'- movement; of the particles, which are in general quite fine, giving what fall.. By suitable regulation of the rate of supply of gases tothe sha-ft; the time of treatment of material, that is thetime and products of combustion f12. The partir-les of material are be termedv a retarded fall instead of a.,

durin which it is heat zone, may be' regulated within to the fall of the particles and the longer is the time of-treatment.

:As the material treated is ordinarly quite fine,.the buoying effect of even a m` erate {iow of gas through the narrow conduit offered by the shaft is considerable. As the cross section of hood 10, above hopper 18, is considerably greater than that of the shaft, the speed of gas flow is there reiarded, allowing entrained particles to settle out. Mostly they collect in hopper 18. In the event that an extremely light'material is being treated which tends to float out of the hood with the exhaust gases a preciptator of the-electrical or other suitable type may be used.

The shaft 12 may be constructed of any, suitable material the walls being suiiiciently thin to permit a rapid transfer of heat.1 The shaft and furnacemay' be supported falling through the r ates 2O and 22 in a loose condition to the spout 26 and to the upper part of the. stack thus dispcrsed evenly throughout the cross-sectional area'of the shaft and fall therethrough without substantial contact with the heated walls of 'the shaft. The' thin stream of materialin free fall (or inretardedpfall, as the case may be)l is subjected to the heat radiated and transferred fromthe' walls of the shaft, theV individual particles receivingV heat directly from the shaft 4walls as well as from the` atmosphere of gases through which they fa`l. The impurities are thereby volatilized or decomposed and driven terial or oxidized Vby the gases introduced through the pipe 80. The treated material I, ,through the unheated portion of the sha 'and is removed through the pipe' 34. .A l A The shaftisheated by means of fuel gas supplied through the pipe 38, distributing box 44 and ports 46 and air supplied throu'll pipe 48, disfributing box 54 and ports 56.

out of the ma- The burning gases and hot products ocombustion are distributed `among the ,if

60 by means ofthe dampers64 and openings 66 and, reaching the upper part of the furnace,.passl out through an outlet flue 68.- A- portionofthe products of oombus- -tion are ,returnedY through the pipes 72 and K 74"j'to. the and air. Asupply PPSf'SfandleS and by diluting those v 'gases produce a long flame combustion of the material. By suitable adjustment of thel operation of the apparatus, the length of time of treatment, the temperature and other conditions may be controlled to suit the requirements of a large variety of materials of the class described.

My methodand apparatus are particularly suitable for the treatment of finely divided fullers earth, such, for example, as will pass a 100 or 200 mesh screen; such material being treated either when fresh or after use, that is, for revivilication. They are particularly adaptedfor revivifying such materials after use'upon liquids, such as oil, including vegetable and edible oils; and my invention is .particularly applicable in revivifying fullers earth after use in finely divided state in decolorization and purication of mineral oil, as petroleum or petroleum distillate or product, as described in my application Ser. No. 568,789, led June My method and apparatus are also of particular utility for treating or revivifying bone char or similar material, particularly when in finely divided state, and when such as will pass a 100 or 200 mesh screen,

particularly when utilized in connection with sugar and similar solutions or liquids, as described in my application Ser. No. 608,448, filed December 22, 1922.

Having described the invention, what I` claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. In the revivifcation and activation of pulverulent purifying agents of the type described, the method which comprises drop ping said pulverulent agent through a heated body of gases and in proximity to heated surfaces.

2. In the revivification and activation of pulverulent purifying agents of the type described, the method which comprises dropping said pulverulent agent through a heated body of gases having a-limited degree of oxidizing power. n

In lthe revivication and acftiviltion of p veru ent puri in agents -o t e. type described, the methgod which comprises dropping said pulverulent agent through 'a heated body of gases containing products of combustionr y 4. In the revivification' and activation of pulverulent purifying agents of the type described, the method which comprises droppingsaid pulverulent agent through a heated body of gases, said body of gases being in upward movement to a suiicient extent to retard substantially the fall o{f said agent, nd while dropping exposing it toradlated eat.

5. In the activation and recovery of fullers earth, the A process which comprises for introducing gases at the base of the con-.

duit and means for removing pulverulent material accumulating in the base of the conduit. 'Y

7; Apparatus for treating materials of the character described which comprises a furnace, a substantially vertical shaft casing longer in one dimension than the other in said furnace/'and centered feeding means for dropping materials into said shaft in a dispersed condition and away from its walls, said casing extending below the heating zone of said furnace to provide a cooling zone for said materials.

8. Apparatus for treating materials of the character described. wliich comprises a substantially vertical shaft casing longer in one dimension than the 4ether, centered feeding means for dropping materials into said shaft to be .treated in'a dispersed condition and away from its walls, means for externally heating a portion of said casing and means for cooling a portion of said casing below said heated portion. Y

9. Apparatus of the character described which comprises a,furnace, a treating 'shaft in said furnace, means for providing a longy iiame in said furnace about said shaft and means for passing materials in a dispersed condition through said shaft. r

10. Apparatus of the type described which comprises, a furnace, a treating shaft in said furnace, means for passing materials in a dispersed condition through said shaft and means for supplying diluting gases to the burning fuel in said furnace to produce a long burning llame about said sha-ft. 11. Apparatus of the type described which comprises, a furnace, a narrow shaft extending through said furnace, a hopper' in the upper part of said shaft, means for supplying pulverulent material to be treated to said hopper, a grate through which said material may fall from said hopper into said grate.

shaft and means for distributing and controlling thepassage of material through said 12. Apparatus of the character described which comprises, a furnace, a shaft ext/ending therethrough, means for dropping materials through said shaft while dispersed through the atmosphere of said shaft, and means for introducing treating gases into said shaft. l

l13.1Ajpparatus of the character described which comprises, a furnace, a shaft extending therethrough, means for dispersing and dropping materialr throu h the atmosphere of said shaft, means for urning fuel about the lower portion of said shaft, means for distributing combustion products from said burning fuel about said shaft, return Hues from the upper portion of said furnace to the lower portion of said furnace, and means for distributing the return products of combustion to the air and fuel entering said furnace.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

FRED W. MANNING. 

